liquid, in physics, one of the three principal states of matter, intermediate between gas and crystalline solid.

Physical properties of liquids

The most obvious physical properties of a liquid are its retention of volume and its conformation to the shape of its container. When a liquid substance is poured into a vessel, it takes the shape of the vessel, and, as long as the substance stays in the liquid state, it will remain inside the vessel. Furthermore, when a liquid is poured from one vessel to another, it retains its volume (as long as there is no vaporization or ... (100 of 16,407 words)